Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 500,000 people a night in the U.S. lived without shelter, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. During the pandemic, those numbers rose even higher. Afraid they might contract COVID-19 in a shelter and lacking safe alternatives, many more people than usual sought warmth and safety in transit hubs. Social service providers across the country have tried to address their needs but can’t reach everyone; often it is police who engage one-on-one with the unhoused. On this episode of In Practice, our panel discusses the intersection of homelessness and transit police, including successful partnerships among transit authorities, police, and local service providers that give the unhoused a chance to access services while also helping transit systems pursue their mission of safe transportation.
Listen to the podcast.
Panel Members
Christopher Trucillo
Chief, New Jersey Transit Police
Laura Hester
Deputy Chief, New Jersey Transit Police
Polly Hanson
Senior director of Security, Risk, and Emergency Management, American Public Transportation Association
Robert V. Wolf
Director of Communications, Center for Justice Innovation
Resources
- The Transit Authority podcast, season 1 episode 6: Public Transit and Homelessness with Tim Chan, Group Manager of Station Area Planning, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
- Public Transit and Social Responsibility: (American Public Transportation Association leadership seminar, 2018)
- Homelessness
- Loukaitou-Sideris, A., Wasserman, J. L, Caro, R., & Ding, H. 2020. Homelessness in Transit Environments Volume I: Findings from a Survey of Public Transit Operators. UC Office of the President: University of California Institute of Transportation Studies.
- HUD: Growth of Homelessness During 2020 Was ‘Devastating,’ Even Before the Pandemic (National Public Radio, March 18, 2021)
- Transit Police Provide Clothing, Shelter to Homeless Man at Morristown Station (Morris Daily Voice, January 15,2021)
- View full video transcript for Module 6a
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